New PR on deads!

Yay! I hit a new record on dead lifts this past Tuesday. I was able to lift 185lbs for 4 reps. I was running low on time so I could only fit in dead lifts. I plan on doing bench press, shoulder press and dips this afternoon.

Deads:

45X8 (warmup)
95X8 (warmup)
95X8 (warmup)
185X4
175X4
175x5
165x6
135x7

Quick Update

Sorry I haven't had the time to update this blog. I have been going to the gym though!

Thursday, October 20th.

Squats
95X8
105X5
135X5
135X5
135X5
125X6
115X6


Sunday, October 23rd.

Deadlifts:

45X8
95X8
165X5
175X5
175X5
175X5
135X8

Tuesday, October 25th. No spotter today.

Dumb bell press (flat)
20X9
35X5
35X5
30X8
30X7

Shoulder Press
20X8
25X7
25X6
25X5

Dips
BWX6
BWX4
BWX6
BWX4

Friday, October 28th.

Squats
95X8
105X5
135X5
135X5
125X5
125x5

Bicep Curls
40X6
40X5

Today is a deads day! Feeling pretty pumped! I previously maxed out my deadlifts at 175 for 5 reps. I think I am going to try 185lbs for 3-4 reps. Ideally, I would have like to up it to 180lbs, but they don't have 2.5lb weights at my gym.

Exhausted

I had the worst night sleep last night. I think it was a combination of bad food (lots of gluten, shitty oil, and simple sugars) that we had at a Thai restaurant last night. I was literally WIRED right before we went to sleep last night. I ended up falling asleep, but I woke up just about every hour, so worried that I would sleep through the alarm. Turned out that I didn't sleep through the alarm, in fact, I woke up before it even went off. Ugh. Today is a squat day at the gym and I just know it is going to be ugly. I am already dreading it, but how can I not go!? I may as well just go, and if my performance is crappy, then its crappy. I have to make an effort especially because I know that I can't go tomorrow.

I am going to try and sneak in a nap today while Pat rests, hope that recharges my batteries a bit.
I'll post my gym results later, or tomorrow. Stay tuned.

New PR in bench press!

I broke a new PR for bench press yesterday! Yahoo! 85lbs for 3 reps!

Barbell bench press

45X8

85X3

75X4 (did not rest enough between reps & it showed)

75X5

75X3(should have dropped it down to 65lbs here)

65X8

Overhead dumbbell triceps

30X8

30X8

30X8

30lbs was too easy - I could definitely jack up the weight to 35lbs next time for 6-7 reps.

Standing bicep curls with barbell

40lbX6

40lbX6

40lbX5 (failed on the 5^th rep)

Overall, a really good workout. I don't feel sore yet, but it sometimes takes a good 48 hrs for the soreness to kick in. I have been jacking up the protein intake too, and I know that makes a world of difference in recovery. The scale says I lost 2 pounds since Monday, but I really just think its water weight from the carb loading that I do on the weekends. I probably eat more carbohydrates and calories between Saturday and Sunday than I do Monday through Friday COMBINED. I know exactly what it is, too, it's alcohol. Alcohol decreases my judgement so I end up doing the whole late-night binge which inevitably carries over into the next day. I have trouble fasting on days where I have a hangover, or days where I've had any alcohol the night before. To be totally honest, alcohol is what is standing in the way of my goal.... Why does it have to be soooooo good?! Pumpkin beers with sugar and cinnamon on the rim, octoberfest.....it is just way too good to pass up.

Holy Soreness!

So it took me a couple of hours to get to the gym yesterday. I was totally procrastinating all morning. After 3 cups of coffee I finally felt ready to head out, and I must say I had quite the diesel gym session. I even broke a PR in deadlifts!!!!!!

To be honest, my focus and energy level started out crappy but once I did a few warm up sets of deadlifts, I felt much more energized.

Deadlifts:

45X8

95X8

175X5

175X5

165X6

135X7

One hand dumb bell rows:

25X8

27.5X8

30X8

I underestimate my own strength way too much. If I am able to get 8 reps with 30 lbs on the 3^rd set, I am going way too light. I need to start at 30lbs next time, hell maybe even 35 lbs next time.

I finished off with “farmer walks.”

I held a 45lb dumb bell in each hand and walked across the gym twice. My forearms were exhausted at this point, I barely made it back the second time.

My back is friggen’ destroyed today, but I feel SO accomplished. According to the scale, I didn’t lose “weight” this week, but I gained strength. I would rather take gains in strength than loss in “weight” any day of the week.

Ouch

So, I think I screwed up my left shoulder on Tuesday's chest and shoulders session. I felt pain a little bit yesterday while transferring Pat from the car seat, but I figured it would just work itself out and that it wouldn't interfere with my squats session that day. I pumped myself up ALL DAY for squats. I go to the gym yesterday, get under the bar feeling super focused and refreshed.... but all I could manage to get was 3 puny reps before sharp shooting pain began to plague my left shoulder. UGHHHHHHHHH. Why!!!!!!?!!?! I was so f'en furious, so disappointed in myself.

Chris saw that I was upset with my back squat performance and suggested I try front squats. I have only done front squats once before and it wasn't even a real session, it was more screwing around. Wow, it was uber uncomfortable for the shoulders, wrists, elbows, forearms. I said to myself, "Man, this sucks. But, I DID NOT come to the gym for nothing. I am going to stick this out." I felt like it was an overall SHITTY session at the gym, but I tried to make the best of it.
Here goes:

Front Squats

45lbx 8
95lbX6 (struggled on the 6th rep. My collarbone was killing me here. Form was definitely off.)
95lbX5 (ouch.)

Okay, so back and front squats were a big bust for me. I figured then I should hop on the leg press and really annihilate my legs.

Leg Press
210X7
210X8
220X8
230X8
250X5
250X5

Still pathetic, I did much more weight last Sunday. I was so frustrated at my shoulder and so hung up on the fact that I couldn't do squats, I let it get the best of me. I need to learn to just accept that some days will be better than others.

I finished off with free weight bicep curls:
17.5lbs X 10
17.5lbs X 8
17.5 X 7

I failed significantly sooner with my left arm than I did with my right. Next time I am going to curl a 40lb bar instead of doing free weights. I hope that increases the strength in my left arm!

Since I didn't post Tuesday, October 11th's workout, here it is.

Flat bench press

45X8

75X5

75X5

65X8

65X8

Dumbbell shoulder press

20X8

25X5

25X5

25X4 (failed on 4^th rep, was so exhausted from bench)

Overhead dumb bell triceps

25X8

25X8

25X8

Isolateral incline press machine

58lbs X 4

48lbx X6

48lbs X5 (so fatigued at this point.)

I am going to nurse my shoulder this weekend and hope that it doesn't screw me up for Sundays training session. I plan on doing some walking today and tomorrow for 45 minutes. I hate walking on the treadmill.

So.boring.

Pushing the reset button

I am starting up this blog as a sort of a reset button for my life. I have been over indulging way too much since before the wedding and it is SO time to get myself back on track. You can only use the whole “I just got married, so I can eat whatever the f&*^ I want” excuse so many times before it gets really, really old. I am still eating carrot cake from my wedding back in September. It isn’t even fresh anymore; it has been sitting in my freezer FOR OVER A MONTH. It is totally freezer burnt, and I am still eating it - that is how out-of-fricken' control I have been lately.

I was feeling sorry for myself for a while, but really where is that going to get me? Is it going to get me lean and muscular? Hell no. Is it going to help me focus on my goals? I don't think so.

It is time to stop being a baby, and MAN up! Yes, I said it, man the f&%$ up. I know I am a woman, but women need to man up sometimes, too. It’s time to put the freezer burnt cake in the garbage where it belongs, and get my sh*t together.

I went to the gym on Sunday and I felt so good about the workout. I did dead lifts for the first time in MONTHS.

Sunday, October 9, 2011.

Dead lifts:

45lbX8

95lbX8

135lbX8

155lbX6

165lbX5

135lbX8

As you can see, I started off very light because I haven’t done them in a while and I was scared that I might pull a muscle. Next time, I am going to go right into 165…maybe even up it to 175. I need to push myself harder otherwise I am never going to see improvement.

Following DL's, I did leg press:

210lbs.X8

230lbs.X7

250lbs.X6

270lbs.X5

Next time I will jump right into 270lbs. It was tough, but if I got 5 reps at 270lbs that just shows me that 250lbs was too light.

Can’t wait to destroy my chest, shoulders and triceps tonight. I am going to implement Martin Berkhan’s RPM (reverse pyramid training.) Since I've put on extra weight my bench press has actually gone up. I was able to bench 75lbs last week for 4 reps, where before I was benching 65lbs for 6-7 reps. Go me.

You need a hobby

is what my fiance said to me. "What do you do for fun? What relaxes you? What do you look forward to? What are you passionate about?"

Sadly, I had to think for a while. I responded, "well.....I like to bake, cook, watch movies.." Are they hobbies? Sure, but, am I passionate about any of them? I can honestly say no, I am not truly passionate about anything that I do.

How is that possible? He, on the other hand, can name 3, 4, hell even 5 things that he absolutely adores doing. He gleams, radiates with excitement while fully immersed into one of his fantasy books, while he is balls deep into a video game, if the Mets are winning, and especially after he has won a softball game.

Over the past few years, I have discovered so much about myself. I have undergone a complete metamorphosis; not only physically, but also mentally. A few years ago, I didn't have goals, real responsibilities, motivation, in fact, I didn't take anything seriously. I spent money as I earned it. Never thought an ounce about saving it because I might need it someday for buying something that is actually important, i.e.; a house. I didn't think about college or having a career, plainly put, I lived for the now. At that point in time, I was incredibly unhappy, in fact, I despised myself, I drowned myself in alcohol and engaged in other delinquent behaviors.

Fast forward five years, and here I am. A little older, leaner, wiser, much more responsible, patient, with a loving fiance, a wonderful nanny job and 50 + credits under my belt. I am so proud of where I am right now, but, still something feels missing from my life. While I have gained so much along this journey of growing up, I somehow lost an integral part of myself. I lost passion; passion for fun, games, leisure, and even some of my sense of humor.

I find myself being so wrapped up in logic and rationality, and just trying to make sense of the world that I forget that there doesn't always have to be a clear cut answer for everything. I actually forget to laugh, kick back and relax, and enjoy life for what it is. My thoughts are so linear now, and the worst of it all, I can't even remember the last time that I used my imagination. If my old self met my grown up self now, she would have laughed at me, and found me extraordinarily boring.

I guess this is why I created this blog. To help me reconnect with fundamental parts of my old self, while discovering new ones, and to ultimately find the balance in my life that I desperately seek.